Charles Remington
Charles Remington is a major supporting protagonist of the 1996 action/adventure/thriller film The Ghost and the Darkness. He was a legendary big-game hunter and tracker world-renowned for his prowess. Background Remington was an American from the southern United States, who grew up in a town where two bullying brothers were a constant problem. However, Remignton eventually settled their reign after he grew older. He fought for the south in the American Civil War, losing both his family and land at the conclusion. Afterwards, Remington burried his family and left America forever, becoming a world renowned big-game hunter of legendary status. The Ghost and the Darkness Charles Remington was summoned to Tsavo, East Africa by Robert Beaumont, a knight of England, to help Colonel John Henry Patterson, a military engineer trying to build a bridge there, to kill a pair of man-eating lions that were causing him trouble and holding up the railway. Remington arrived in Tsavo in just enough time to save Patterson from his enraged workers, pointing a gun at their leader, Abdullah's head, and forcing him and the others to back down, before calling forth his Masai crew and greeting his friend, Samuel, with a hug, as well as greeting Patterson himself. Downplaying his heroics, Remington is shocked to find out that the lions had killed over forty people. Explaining what he knew of the situation at Tsavo, Remington and Patterson both agreed that he would take charge of the hunt for the lions. They visited the hospital, where Remington recommended they build a new hospital by night of the following day, explaining why this should be to the doctor. Remington later talked with him, Patterson, and Samuel, who he told he wanted with him on the hunt. He then joined his Masai warriors in their bravery ceremony. The next day, Remington tracked one of the lions down to a thicket and, instructing Patterson to take the upper position, went after it with the Masai. However, when Patterson's gun misfired when it made its way to him, Remington drove it off, before the Masai, believing the man-eaters were demons, left. After he instructed Samuel and Dr. Hawthorne as to their nightly orders, Remington and Patterson coated the old hospital with blood and littered the grounds with dead cow parts, before waiting for the lions inside. Though this did work, the lions retreated after being shot at and attacked the new hospital, killing all the patients and Dr. Hawthorne. The next day, all of the remaining railway workers left Tsavo and Remington praised Patterson's bridge design, before pointing out that he had seen fresh pawprints, which he and Patterson agreed to follow. Along the way, Remington recounted a tale about his hometown, before they tracked the lions to their den. Armed with their rifles and torches, the duo entered it, finding hundreds of human skeletons inside, which caused Remington to realize that the lions where killing for pleasure. Later that night, Remington was alarmed at hearing the two man-eaters calling in the night, before Patterson suggested using a machan(Indian hunting platform) to hunt the beasts. At this, Remington told Patterson he would be the one using it, with him in a tree too far away to protect him. After it was constructed, Remington and Samuel brought a baboon they caught and tied it up nearby, before he gave Patterson his pistol for extra help. As he left, Remington told Patterson he thought this would because of his belief the lions were after him and wished him a merry Christmas. That night, in a tree, Remington became aware of one of the lions' presence and, after Patterson had wounded it, the two tracked it, with Remington shooting it to death as it lept at Patterson. As they celebrated the victory, Remington and Patterson laughed at the notion that the last lion was scared and talked of lost desires, before Remington, laughing at a humorous comment by Patterson, went to bed, telling him to hold his son high when he met him. Later that night, the remaining lion dragged Remington from his tent and killed him, and his body was later cremated by Patterson and Samuel where they found him. Patterson later used Remington's double rifle to kill the remaining lion. Skills Charles Remington was an extremely knowledgeable and skilled big-game hunter and tracker, with tremendous experience. His skill was so great that he became legendary and world-famous for hunting, enough that he would be summoned to East Africa from another country to help kill the two lions killing railway workers at Tsavo. Aside from knowledge, he was an excellent shot and an experienced soldier as well, having fought and survived the American Civil War. His preferred weapons were a double rifle and a powerful, two-shot pistol. Personality Remington was noted by his friend Samuel to be someone that takes some getting used to. However, he was very charismatic, as Colonel John Henry Patterson quickly took a great liking to him. He was a very well-in-control man, able to take charge of situations and command them easily and, despite his hunting prowess, did not enjoy killing, choosing to do so only because he had a gift for hunting. Trivia The character of Charles Remington is completely fictional, being loosely based off of Charles Ryall, who worked for the railroad at the time, but did nothing to help kill the Tsavo man-eaters. Category:Characters Category:Heroes Category:Hunters Category:Deceased